Time Dies
by darkangel1890
Summary: Starts where the play ends. Roger knows Mimi doesnt have much time left, and after she dies he is left to face the world, yet again, alone. He soon finds that one of his friends is also dying. In the end will Roger be able to survive all the death?
1. Chapter 1

Here is my new fanfic. Its RENT, which Im sure you already know. I saw the movie before I saw the play, so its mostly based on that, but there are certain things I took from the play as well. So obviously I picture all the characters like they are in the movie, but feel free to picture them as whichever person you liked best. Please R&R and Enjoy!! :-)

_Nessa_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

There is no future, there is no past. Thank God this moment's not the last.

Joanne hugged Mimi carefully, trying her best not to start crying again. She was so glad they had found her in time. _Time._ She wondered quietly to herself how much time Mimi truly had left.

"Thanks again for everything," Mimi said, smiling up at her friend.

Joanne smiled back, silently telling her that it was no problem. She turned and reached for Maureen's hand as they made their way out of the apartment. Maureen paused at the door and looked at Roger and Mimi.

"We'll stop by tomorrow if that's alright," she said, wanting to be there for them as much as possible.

Roger was hardly paying attention to anyone but Mimi, but Mimi smiled at them and nodded.

"Of course," she glanced at Roger who hadn't yet taken his eyes off of her. "You're always welcome."

And with that, Joanne and Maureen left, shutting the door softly behind them.

Mimi turned to look at Collins. He looked absolutely awful. She knew he still wasn't over Angel. But it was more than that. He didn't just look sad, or depressed, he looked _sick._ She wondered if there was something he was keeping from everyone. Maybe he…

"You must be exhausted," Roger said, tracing Mimi's jaw line with his index finger.

Mimi looked away from Collins to stare into Roger's eyes. He looked so worried, and so broken. She wished she could save him from the hurt he was sure to soon feel. She wished there was a way she could make him believe she didn't love him, so that when she died, it would perhaps hurt him less. But she knew that it wouldn't hurt him any less. Besides, she didn't have the strength to pretend. She wanted and needed Roger more than anything right now. And whether that was selfish or not, she didn't care. She loved him and he loved her. And that's all that seemed to matter right now.

"I am pretty tired," she commented, not looking away from him.

Roger stood up, and picked Mimi up carefully. He started walking toward the door, but she stopped him.

"Let's just stay here tonight," she said quietly.

He nodded and turned to head toward his room. He laid her gently on his bed and grabbed an extra blanket before lying down next to her. He made sure she was completely covered before pulling her into his arms. She laid her head against his chest as he kissed the top of her head. She was so glad she got to see Roger before she died. Nothing in the world made her happier than Roger did. Everything about him, from the sound of his voice, to the feel of his touch made her feel warm inside. It made her feel completely relaxed and completely safe. Nothing could compare. And he felt the same way about her, and she knew it. Knowing that made her feel like she could fly. Even though she felt horrible, felt sicker than she ever had in her life, she felt like his love could enable her to do anything. She smiled at the remembrance of the song he had written for her.

"Roger," she whispered.

"Yes?" he said, sitting up slightly, hoping she was alright.

"Could you sing me the song you wrote?" she asked, looking up at him in the dark.

Roger smiled softly as he relaxed again.

"Of course." He took a little breath before he began. "_Your eyes…"_

* * *

Collins and Mark continued to sit there in silence for a while before they heard Roger quietly singing to Mimi.

"She's okay," Collins said, in half disbelief. He had been so sure the moment Joanne and Maureen brought her in, that she was done for. He had not expected her to come to, and then to talk about Angel. _Angel._ Just thinking the name hurt. He missed him… her so much. He had never loved a human being so much before in his life. And then he met Angel, and she turned his life upside down. She made him feel like he was on top of the world, and as long as they were together, nothing could hurt him. But then, Angel's condition worsened, and Collins knew then that he didn't want to survive without her. But Angel had made him promise. Perhaps she could see it in his eyes, that he would shut down after she was gone, who knows, but whatever it was, she made him promise her that he would go on living. That he wouldn't give up like Roger had when April killed herself. And so, he reluctantly made a promise to his love, that he would go on, stronger than ever, until the day came when he would naturally reunite with his lover. Collins wasn't a holy man, he wasn't sure if there was a God out there or not, but he had to believe that somehow, someway, he would get to see Angel again. That thought and his promise to her, were the only things that kept him going from day to day.

"Yeah, she is," Mark replied, breaking Collins out of his reverie.

"But for how long?" Collins replied after a moment.

Mark sighed and looked down. This was something he tried not to think of. He was focusing so much on the fact that Mimi was alive today that he didn't have to think about the fact that she may not be alive tomorrow.

"I don't know," he confessed. "Not much longer."

* * *

Roger finished his song and looked down at Mimi to realize she had fallen asleep. He could see her chest moving steadily as she slept and relaxed slightly, knowing she was still breathing. _But for how long?_ How many more days, hours, or even minutes did he have left with her? He couldn't be sure, but one thing he was sure of, was that it wasn't long. Whatever the time was, it wasn't going to be enough. He knew, without a doubt, that he didn't have more than a week or so left with her. That though stabbed him like a knife. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her. It had hurt when he had found April, his previous girlfriend, dead in the tub. He thought he would never get past that. And in some ways, he still wasn't. But then he had found Mimi, whom he loved more fiercely that he would have thought possible. When Angel had died, that was a serious blow. He was an amazing person, and blessed their lives more than he knew. He had been great for Collins and their love gave Roger hope. But Angel had died, which had been inevitable, but still hurt just the same. And now Mimi was dying and Roger was powerless to stop it. He wasn't sure if he would get past this one. This was it for him. After Mimi, what did he have left to live for? Yes, he had his friends, which he cared about very much. But it wasn't enough. He knew that either he or Collins would be next, and there's only so much death a person can take before they go insane. He sighed deeply and shut his eyes. He would try to sleep so he wouldn't have to think of these things for a while. He kissed Mimi's forehead gently as he fought back the tears that threatened to spill out. _I love you_, he thought, before laying back and falling into an uneasy, restless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! I just want to thank those who took the time to review my story: **_Little Fish in a Big Pond_**, **_IWillBeThereWhereYouAre_**, and **_kitykat17_**. Thank you all very much! Reviews are what keeps me going. Anyway, here is the next chapter. So please R&R, and enjoy =]

_Nessa_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Roger awoke to the sun streaming in though his bedroom window. It took him all of a few seconds to remember the events of the previous night, and he hurriedly checked to make sure Mimi was still breathing. When he made sure that she was indeed still alive, he breathed a sigh of relief. He carefully took his arm from underneath her and slid quietly out of bed. He bent to kiss the top of her head before tip toeing out of the room. He wanted to find something for her to eat, but knew without a doubt that there was nothing in the apartment. He sat down on the window sill and looked down at the street below. He saw a few people walking, but didn't really see them at all. All he was thinking about was Mimi. Mimi and how much time she had left. His eyes started to sting, but he fought off the tears. He would not start crying again. If he let them go, he wasn't sure the tears would ever stop coming. And he needed to be strong for Mimi.

He was deep in thought when there was suddenly a hand on his shoulder. He jumped up and turned around.

"Jesus Mark, you scared the hell out of me!" he said, putting his hand to his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly.

"Sorry," Mark said, putting his hands up. "I didn't mean to frighten you. Just wanted to see how you were doing." Mark watched Roger for a moment. He saw his friends mouth turn down and the worry lines crease his forehead.

"I'm fine," he lied, knowing Mark wasn't going to believe him.

Mark thought about saying something, but thought better. He didn't want to argue with his best friend. Not now.

"Alright," he said carefully, not wanting to upset him any further. "Well I'm here if you ever need to, you know, talk." He looked at his friend seriously, and gave him a slight smile.

"Thanks," Roger said quietly, trying to return the smile, but failing miserably.

They stood there for a moment in silence, until they heard coughing coming from the bedroom.

"Mimi," Roger whispered, as his eyes widened. He turned and practically ran to his room. He saw her lying on her side, the coughs shaking her entire frame. He knelt next to her and rubbed her back softly. He wished that there was something, anything he could do. But he knew that nothing could save her now.

After her coughing subsided, she turned to look at him and smiled.

"Hey," she said coarsely.

"Hey," he said back, looking into her eyes. "How did you sleep?" he asked, figuring she hadn't slept very well at all.

"Not too bad." She looked at him, studying his face, and saw that he looked even worse than he had last night. Maybe it was because he had been so relieved that she was still alive last night that the worry hadn't had time to sink in. Whatever the case was, he looked down right awful, and she couldn't bear to see him like that.

"Roger," she said, thinking of what to say "Please don't worry about me."

Hs eyebrows furrowed as he regarded her. "What?" was all he could think to say.

"I mean it. We both know what is happening to me, and I hate what it's doing to you." She watched his expression go from confusion to anger, then back to worry.

"Mimi, I can't help but worry. When you're gone-" he cut himself off. What was he going to say? _When you're gone there will be nothing left of me._ No. He couldn't say that to her. It would hurt her to hear that. So he would lie, and try his best to pretend for her. He didn't want her..dying worrying about him. That was ridiculous. "I'll be okay," _Lies. _ "It will be hard, and I'll never forget you or stop loving you, but I know that it's going to happen. So don't you worry about me, okay? I'll be fine." _I'll be dead inside. _

She looked at him for a moment before finally accepting what he said. She smiled up at him feeling pleased.

"Okay," she said, reaching out for his hand. He took it and gave it a tight squeeze before bending down to kiss her gently on the lips.

"I love you Mimi," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you too," she said, before kissing him back.

* * *

A few hours later there was a knock on the door. The person however, did not wait for someone to answer, and instead just walked in.

"Pookie it was nothing!" Maureen's voice practically yelled.

Roger rolled his eyes and laughed lightly. "Guess we know who it is," he whispered to Mimi.

Mimi smiled at him and laughed a little too. Maureen would always amuse her, no matter what.

"Rog, can you help me out there? I want to visit with them." She said, knowing he wouldn't like this idea very much.

"How about they just come see you in here," Roger suggested, knowing she wasn't going to agree.

"Roger, your room is way too small for everyone," she said, gesturing to his room, which had room for a bed and a stand.

He sighed in defeat and went to go make sure the couch was cleared off.

"What did Maureen do now?" he heard Mark say as he walked out of his room.

"She was flirting with the girl at the donut shop! We cant go anywhere without her talking to some other woman!" Joanne said exasperatedly.

"That's not true pookie! I don't flirt with them, they flirt with _me!_" Maureen said, trying to defend herself.

"Forget it," Joanne said, giving up. She knew she wasn't going to win this one. She looked up and finally noticed Roger was moving stuff off the couch. "Hey, how is she?"

At that, Maureen's attitude completely changed. She grabbed Joanne's free hand and squeezed it.

"Pretty much the same." He looked up at them briefly, before looking back down. He didn't want to start crying in front of them. "She wants to come out here to visit with you guys," he said, disapproval clear in his voice.

Maureen let go off Joanne's hand and took a few steps forward so she was standing right in front of Roger.

He set the last piece of Mark's equipment on the floor before standing up to look at her. Before he got a chance to say anything, she threw her arms around him and hugged him. He was a bit reluctant at first, but then hugged her back tightly.

"Thanks" he whispered, kissing the top of her head softly.

She let him go and took a step back, smiling up at him. "We brought donuts," she commented, looking back at Joanne.

Roger laughed a little and put a hand on her arm, silently thanking her. He took a deep breath, before walking back to his room to hey Mimi. He may not like the fact that she was using what little energy she had to come visit with people, but he knew it would make her happy. And really, that's all he wanted at this point, was to make her as happy and comfortable as possible. And with that thought in mind, he scooped her up into his arms, kissed her softly, and carried her out to see their friends.


End file.
